Quick Quote #23

"When love and duty are one, then grace is within you."
~The Painted Veil

Quick Quote #22

‎"Everything is energy and that's all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics." 
∼Albert Einstein

Dia de los Muertos Costume

So for my costume this year, I decided to dress up for "Day of the Dead" aka "Dia de los Muertos." I get to do some crazy cool/dramatic makeup and hair. I'm excited. 

Here are some ideas for makeup:

So detailed. I should start doodling this stuff for practice. 

Ooh, Katie's a doodler, maybe I'll have her help me!  

I really like her eyelashes in this one. Maybe I'll have to get some cool eyelashes too. :)

Love, love, love.

I apparently need to get some red roses for my hair as well.

Have any other suggestions for my hair, makeup, or outfit? Leave a comment!

-Britt

"The List" Item #10

"Put your music player on shuffle and write the first ten songs that play."

Well, this is pretty straightforward... Here we go!

1. Cold As Ice- Foreigner

2. Circuitry of the Wolf- Mew

3. One Bad Apple- Donny Osmond

4. Gotta Have You- The Weepies

5. Blame it on the Girls- Mika

6. Gettin' Over You- David Guetta

7. White Sky- Vampire Weekend

8. Hide and Seek- Imogen Heap

9. Thieves- She & Him

10. I Miss You- Blink-182

Haha, I guess I have a very...varied taste in music. 

"The List" Item #3

"A book you love."


Okay, well I LOVE reading so there's no way I'm picking just one book that I love. (And yes, I know that I skipped Item #2... I'll come back to that one.)

What I look for in a book is either to:
1) Be highly entertained to the point where, when I read, I escape into another world.
-or-
2) Feel highly educated and enlightened after finishing it.

The best books are the ones that do both.

I kept my list down to five books. I know I'm missing some that I'll kick myself for forgetting later, but these five make a pretty good list methinks.

First up, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Just like the quote on the cover says, this book can be life changing. The story is of Leisel Meminger going to live with a foster family at the age of 9. It is cleverly narrated by Death, and takes place in Nazi Germany. When you get toward the end, make sure you have plenty of time to finish it all at once and a box of tissues nearby; you'll need both.

I have also really enjoyed reading Brandon Sanderson's works lately. They are all well-written and he is incredibly talented, imaginative, and creative.

 Mistborn is the first book in a trilogy that will blow your mind. Vin lives in the Luthadel, capitol of the Final Empire and home of the Lord Ruler--an immortal, oppressive God who has ruled for a thousand years. Can he be overthrown?
The novel starts off kind of slow to establish some character development, but once you get hooked (and if you keep reading, you will), you're a goner.
My favorite book of the trilogy, by far, is the third--The Hero of Ages. In the last five pages, Sanderson turns the fantasy world he just spent three books creating upside down, in a good way.

My favorite stand-alone book of Sanderson's is Warbreaker. It has some fun twists and was a good one to "get lost" in. I loved the ending.

Next is none other than Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. There is a reason this book is so widely loved by women; it's romantic, witty, and hilarious. The characters are "real" through their imperfections, but love is above all that; and this book demonstrates that beautifully.

I couldn't very well talk about amazing books without mentioning the Harry Potter series, now could I?

I remember reading the first book for the first time when I was in 2nd grade and being blown away by the magic of it all. J.K. Rowling really knows how to get a reader's attention, and hold it. I can honestly say that my childhood would not have been the same without these books. Between going to buy the books when they came out at midnight and staying up until all hours of the night to read "just one more chapter," I made memories with these books, wherever I took them.

And last, but most certainly not least, is Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. This book is a true eye-opener. I love how it makes you think in different ways and there's something for any kind of reader to take away. If you asked me what my one, all-time favorite book was, I would most likely say this one. It's timeless.

So, there's my list of five.

While writing this, I also thought of some other good reads like Enchantress from the Stars, Homeless Bird, Shadow Spinner, and the Alanna series.

Quick Quote #21

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
~ Marianne Williamson

I got sunshine on a cloudy day...

 Today was overcast and rainy and gorgeous. So, naturally, I decided to wear the one yellow item of clothing I own. I felt like a paradoxical ray of sunshine as I went about my day with everyone else wearing their black and grey coats. 

Yes, I own something that isn't just grey. It's a miracle, isn't it?

During one of the breaks in the downpour, these birds decided to congregate on the telephone wire outside of my work. They were entertaining to say the least.

-Britt

Double sick...

There's something about getting hurt/sick that makes you homesick too. All you want is to go home and have your mom take care of you and have your dad give you a big hug and tell you you'll feel better soon.
I splattered some oil today while I was cooking dinner (it was hot) and some of it got on my cheek. Ouch. It hurt really bad. Thank goodness for amazing roommates who immediately took over the cooking and made sure I was alright. I don't know what I would have done without them. As much as my face hurting made me wish that I was home, they more than made up for me not having the comforts of my family around.
Thanks so much, lovelies. :)

-Britt

"The List" Item #1

"Five ways to win your heart."

Okie doke. Let's see...

1. Buy me chocolate. 

Cliche? That's just fine with me, because it doesn't make it any less true. You buy me chocolate and you are well on your way to winning me over. Unless you're a creeper--intention is key. Here are some kinds of chocolate that I wouldn't mind receiving:

Milky Way Midnight

Tootsie Rolls

Pretty much anything from See's is delicious, but these are probably my three favorites:

Top left: Rum Nougat

Top right: Molasses chips (dark or milk)

Bottom: Scotch Mallow (YUM)

2. Be cute with kids.

There's nothing cuter than a guy that loves children. How they treat kiddos says a lot about who they are.

3. Notice when I take the time to get all dolled-up.

Nothing is worse than getting all cute to impress a guy and having him not even notice. Whether it's apparent in your face or you decide to compliment me verbally, it feels good to have my efforts realized in this department.

4. Smile at me/laugh at my jokes.

I, like most people, love feeling like my humor/wit is appreciated. Plus, who doesn't love getting a smile from someone to make their day better?

5. Make me laugh.

Now, this isn't hard to do, but that makes it that much more important. If you can't make me laugh, you must be pretty dull/awkward. I love a guy with a good sense of humor--not too cheesy, not too square.

This is a list...

I'm always looking for things to blog about and I found this list via Pinterest and thought I'd give it a try. 

I don't think I'm going to do the one-post-a-day thing--that's way too structured and just asking for me to be disappointed in myself when I end up not sticking to it. I just plan on answering these sometime during the next month or so.  

- Britt

A trip to the temple

I was lucky enough to wake up this morning and do baptisms for the dead in this lovely building, the Provo Temple. It had been a while since I had gone and I would really like to start going on a regular basis. Preferably weekly; biweekly at the very least.
The temple always has neat experiences to go with it. Today, I was waiting on the benches outside the font watching the baptisms when a young man entered the font. He must have been twelve because he was little and very young-looking. He had the biggest grin on his face that just put a smile on my own. I looked around and saw that others waiting were smiling as well. This young man got it. He knew the joy and service he was providing to those on the other side of the veil and it showed. What a great example he was to all of us college-aged people waiting on the benches who sometimes so easily forget.

Something else neat happened too. I was looking for something to read and they had a copy of The Friend sitting on one of the benches.

At first I was going to look for something a little more "grown-up" to read, but for some reason I decided to open it up and have a gander. Not too far into the magazine, I ran into an article about none other than baptisms for the dead. I looked at the by-line and saw my sister's name there. Yep, my sister is that cool. (Love you, Lyss!) I loved reading her simplified version of how to prepare to do baptisms for the dead as I was waiting to do just that. Here is a link to an online version of the article.

Life is good and I know going to the temple makes it even better.

-Britt

Quick Quote #20

‎"Don’t let a day go by without doing something to act on the promptings of the Spirit." 
~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Nazi Zombies: A short story

On saturday Cassie was watching sports center and said, "Hey, do you guys think I'll find a guy that likes that I watch sports center for fun?" 

I replied (it should be noted that I was brushing my teeth), "Yeah, definitely... Guys love having common ground like that. Take Elyssa and Chris for instance, Elyssa likes playing video games and Chris likes that about her. They love playing games like Nazi Zombies together." 

"What?!? They play naughty zombies??" 

"No, no... NAZI zombies, Cass. I don't even want to think about what naughty zombies would entail."

Haha, so great.

-Britt

Strawberry Cream Cheese

I was spreading some on a bagel the other day when I flashed back to a different day...

I was in Salt Lake City at Robert and Ashley's apartment. Robert needed to eat so I offered to make him something. He asked for an english muffin with strawberry cream cheese on it. I went and started getting it ready when Ash came out and told me to put more cream cheese on because he needed the calories. I obliged and then took the muffin to Robert. It took him a while to eat even that small amount of food.

The mind is an interesting thing... It's strange that something as simple as strawberry cream cheese could bring back such a detailed memory.

Miss you, Robert.

-Britt

Quick Quote #19

"Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living. We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount."

~U.S. General Omar Bradley

Quick Quote #18

"True love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter of anxious concern for the well being of ones companion."


~Gordon B. Hinkley

Miss you, Robert...

Today I woke up feeling rather strange. I thought it was due to some strange/depressing dreams I had last night. The whole day I felt kind of off. When I got onto Facebook tonight I saw that it was Robert's birthday and it all clicked. It was like my subconscious was trying to remind me. 

Miss you and love you, Rob Dob. Happy Birthday!

-Britt

Quick Quote #17

"The greatest battle of life is fought out within the silent chambers of the soul. A victory on the inside of a man's heart is worth a hundred conquests on the battlefields of life. To be the master of yourself is the best guarantee that you will be master of the situation. Know thyself. The crown of character is self-control."

~Author Unknown 

(Quoted by Pres. Spencer W. Kimball)

Time for a real post, you say?

Well, alright. If you insist...

This past weekend was really fun. I got to go to Llama Fest with some of my favorite people.

It was a blast...

As you can plainly see.

The baby llama was probably my favorite part.

It was so cute we all wanted a picture with it:

Her face says it all...

A close second for favorite thing at Llama Fest was the Peruvian dancing.

This is a courtship dance:

So neat.

Isn't she pretty?

I like her quite a lot... :]

Llamas are great animals. They're surprisingly chill.

I like 'em.

'Till next time!

-Britt

Quick Quote #16

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong."

~Mahatma Ghandi

Quick Quote #15

"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen all at once."
~Albert Einstein

Quick Quotes #13&14

"You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body."


"This is one of the miracles of love: It gives a power of seeing through its own enchantments and yet not being disenchanted."


~C.S. Lewis

How does it feel to want?

Like this:

To avoid copyright infringement or whatever, here's the link.

Artist: The Gorgonist on Etsy 

Want.

Really badly.

Am I a nerd? Why yes, yes I am...

But at least Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the better kids' TV shows I could be in love with.

-Britt

WARNING! Randomness may ensue...

Finals are over and that means I have time for an update! (I just know you're ecstatic)

Well, I have some pictures I've taken over the past few weeks and everyone likes pictures, so here goes...

Katie whopped her hair off! Wooo!!!

I went along as her moral support.

No going back now... Also, she's good at giving two thumbs up.

Also, also, her hair was still pinkish from the Festival of Colors. 

Scary!!

Almost done...

And the finished product! Isn't she pretty?! I tell her on a daily basis, just ask her. I think she gets sick of hearing it. :]

D'awww... Precious!

Sooo, she's probably going to murder me for this, but I've been collecting pictures of Katie doing random stuff while studying or just on her computer for a while. Here's what I got so far:

Headband across the forehead--can't go wrong there...

See?

And there's just no way this could've been comfortable...

That's my collection though! Three pictures can be considered a collection, right? Cool.

Me and Katie lookin' hot. It happens. I just love that she's rockin' the new haircut in a faux-hawk. Awesome.

Did I mention that I'm kind of in love with her new 'do? Because I am. I want to do something this drastic sometime, but I'm growing my hair out for now.

In case you didn't know, I have really weird dreams. Like, really weird. And sometimes scary.

As in airplane crashes, buses driving off bridges, even being a guy on occasion (horrifying, I know).

So, the only logical thing to do was buy a dreamcatcher! 

It was almost a ritual every morning when I lived at home:

"Ash, Jin--I had the weirdest dream last night..."

And I'm terrible at recounting my dreams since they barely even make sense to me.

When I do attempt it, the people listening are usually waiting for a punch-line when there isn't one, making for an awkward end to my dream-telling.

Unfortunately, I can't say that my dreamcatcher has helped all that much. My dreams haven't been as weird lately, but still far from normal and still really vivid. 

I've heard that if you eat right before you go to bed it affects your dreams? I guess that means no more midnight waffles for me... (Ha, good one!)

And I sometimes eat macaroni and cheese with chopsticks. (Ees for fun)

That's talent right there... (And yes, my armpit is sweaty... What of it?)

Oh, and in case you haven't gathered yet, I have some of the coolest roommates you ever will meet.

They do all sorts of random/awesome things like... giving each other fake tattoo sleeves!

Arm: Reegan's

Tattoo artist: Katie

Fantastic and highly entertaining. Especially since it took like a week to completely wash off.

And what kind of person would I be if I didn't make you all wish you could have had a slice of this delicious Devil's Food bundt cake I made? A nice kind, that's what. And man was it good... So moist and chocolaty and delicious. Yum...

Well, I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the glimpse they gave into my stupendous life!

More soon (hopefully)!

-Britt